Turning Point
by Ishikawa Morado
Summary: What could happen if someone tried to come between Nishikata and Takagi.


**Turning point...**

During the break between second and third class of one particular morning, Nishikata, Takao, and Kimura are getting around Kimura's desk in the front of class to talk about the newest manga chapter of 'Fierce Soccer'. But before anyone could get one comment out, Hamaguchi and another student walk to them from the hallway.

"There is Nishikata...though I still don't know why you wanted to talk to him?" Hamaguchi asked.

"Hello, I am Sato Toshio. I am a friend of Hamaguchi from elementary school days. I would like to ask you a question, if I may." Toshio stated to the group.

"Ahh...you can ask though ... I do not know why you would need to talk to me about." Nishikata asked questionly.

"Are you going out with Takagi-san.?" Toshio said with a straight face.

"W-W-W-What makes you think that I am going out with Takagi-san?" Nishikata stuttered.

"Whenever I have seen Takagi-san most of the time outside of this classroom, you seem to be around her...I was wanting to know your relationship with her. That's is all that I want to know."

"No, I am not going out with Takagi-san. We live in the same part of town. Why did you want to know if I was going out with her?"

"That is good...As I was wanting to ask her if she would like to go out with me during lunch." Toshio declared.

"What!" everyone in the small group exclaimed.

"I am not surprised coming from you, Toshio-kun...In the last year of elementary school you had started dating three of the most popular girls in school." Hamaguchi stated almost proudly. "What happened to Risa-san?"

"Risa found herself a new boyfriend in about three hours after dumping me. I figured if I was to date someone cuter than her, then I would feel better than knowing I was dumped because Risa's current boyfriend is two years older than me."

"Wait...you want to date Takagi-san just so you can get back at Risa-san?" Nishikata said while slowly getting angry.

"Partially...I also feel better being around a cute girl...and if she dating me, then I don't have to worry about her looking at other guys."

Before anyone else could ask the bell rang for the next class. Toshio quickly left the room, but not before Hamaguchi promptly said, "Good luck."

Nishikata mindlessly turned and headed to the back of the class where his desk was next the girl that was discussed about. Nishikata sat down with a worried look on his face as his mind was trying to comprehend what Toshio was wanting to do. And he did think that Takagi should not give in to the conniving boy. But, how was he to let Takagi know about Toshio's intentions. The next break would be for lunch and Toshio said he would talk to her during lunch. He would have to tell her during class, but how...Then he realized that he could write on his notes and let Takagi read as he would tell her about Toshio.

After a moment, Takagi came in from the hallway and sat next to Nishikata. "Are you okay?", Takagi said as she saw his troubled face.

"Aaaaahhhh...I will tell you later."

"Alright..." Takagi said not sure what was bothering her classmate.

After about ten minutes in class, Nishikata wrote in his notes '_I found out that someone is wanting to ask you out during lunch.' _He made sure he moved the note close enough that she could see it. Which she did.

_'What do you mean someone is wanting to ask me out?' _Takagi-san wrote in her own notes.

_Sato Toshio from the other class is wanting to ask you out...to be his girlfriend.'  
_

_'How do you know this?'  
_

_'He came into the classroom during the break and asked me if we were together...he was very direct about it.'_

_'What did you say?'_

_'What?'_

Takagi-san just underlined her previous line of the non-verbal communication. '_What did you say?'_

_'I told him NO'_

_'Why?'_

_'Because we are not going out...we just happen to meet a lot as we live in the same part of town.'_

_'Sounds like you are jealous.'_

_'I AM NOT JEALOUS!'_

_'Would you ask someone you like to go out right away or would you wait for the right moment?'_

_'What?'_

Underlined again. _'Would you ask someone you like to go out right away or would you wait for the right moment?'_

_'I would wait...back to the main topic, what are you going to do?'_

_'I would decline like I have before a few weeks back.'_

_'Wait...What was that past part?'_

_'Someone had asked me to go out before a few weeks back during lunch...I told him that I really like someone else and I am waiting for him to ask.'_

Nishikata underlined his last sentence._ 'Wait...What was that past part?'_

Takagi underlined part of her last sentence._ '…...I am waiting for him to ask.' _Takagi quickly added another line._ 'Why would you wait instead of asking right away? The girl you would ask; she could find someone else or circumstances could change for her to a point where she has changed her mind about you.'_

Nishikata thought for several minutes before he could continue writing._ 'I would hope the girl I like would be serious enough about me to want to be in long term commitment.'_

_'Really...I have the same idea for the guy I like...I can see myself married to him right now.'_

_'What!'_

_'You have not thought or daydreamed about that with the girl you like?'_

_'I have NOT said I like anyone!...I mentioned IF I liked someone...Yes, I have thought about that...even thinking of kids names.'_

_'What are the names you have thought of?'_

Nishikata realized that Takagi would not give up until she had an answer._'For a girl; Chiyo or Chizu...or Chi for short...For a boy; Daisuke or Daichi... or Dai for short.'_

_'Don't wait to tell a girl how you feel...you never know what will happen to that person until you ask...My aunt had someone she liked for a long time. Unfortunately, he died in a car accident in the mountains...She could have told him two years before the accident, but she waited...Now, she regrets that she never told him...We should focus on the teacher as we have been writing like this for awhile.'_

For the next twenty minutes, Nishikata thought about Takagi and the things that they have done together since the beginning of the school year. He has known that she is cute as he always sees her as she is.

Takagi writes on her notes to allow Nishikata to see. _'Do you think I should take up Toshio-kun's offer for being his girlfriend during lunch?'_

_'Why are you asking me!'_

_'I want to know what you think of the idea of me going out with someone.'_

At that moment he then thought about all of the things that they have done together and how things would change if she did go out with someone else._ 'I think you should decline.'_

_'Why?...do you like me?'_

Nishikata stopped and stared at the last statement. He was quickly to think_ 'No, I don't like you.' ..._Until he realized that he did have feelings for Takagi and that he has had these feelings for a while. He looked at the clock and thought that in two minutes would be the lunch break and Toshio would come and ask to see Takagi. He scribbled as fast as he could, _'I do like you'._

Nishikata noticed that Takagi became very still out of the corner of his eye. She had the same look on her face as the day of _'Critical hit'_ day. It took several moments before Takagi could write; '_Tell me during lunch. I want to hear you say it.'_

Just as the classroom bell rang Nishikata wrote_ 'Okay.'_

A few moments later, Toshio appeared. "Hi, Takagi-san. My name is Sato Toshio. Can I talk to you now. I was wanting to talk to you about something."

"Okay,"Takagi said, "But, can Nishikata come, too?"

Toshio seemed to thrown by her asking about Nishikata joining them, but quickly recovered by saying, "Maybe later...I was needing to talk to you alone."

"Alright." Takagi stood up and followed him out the door and down the hallway.

After about five seconds, Nishikata rapidly followed after them. They seemed to be heading to the side of the main school building and one of the side buildings where it created a slight blind spot that has been popular with couples to be able to talk quietly among themselves. Both Toshio and Takagi turned the corner for the designated rendezvous spot. Nishikata quietly went to the corner and stayed there so he could hear what they would say without being seen.

Toshio turned around to Takagi and looked at her for a few seconds. "I have asked you out here to ask if you would like to go out with me."

"How do you know me?"Takagi quickly responded.

"I do not know you, but I have noticed how cute you are and I was wanting get to know you by going out with me."

"So...because how 'cute' I am, you want to go out with me without knowing anything about me...Have you asked anyone else about me... or did you assume that I would quickly say 'yes' and you wouldn't have talk to anyone."

"What does it matter...You have the opportunity to be with me, Sato Toshio... And if you don't, I could make it difficult for you as rumors spread about you and the many different guys you are with including the below-average Nishikata...As you and I date; we can go and do pretty much anything...my family is well off financially...My dad is a vice president of a prefecture-wide bank with many branches."

"But what if I am already going out with someone else?"

"I have asked the wimpy Nishikata earlier and he pretty much acted like he was mortified to be with you. Several different people have told me that the only boy that you hang out with was Nishikata."

"Well...The guy I am wanting to going out with is quite athletic. He likes to workout nearly every day. I know that he does any where from a hundred to two hundred push-ups a day. He is romantic in his own quiet way, and gets easily embarrassed by it. He never backs down from a challenge. I have seen him strategize and plan many ways to take out an opponent. He is kind and considerate of others. He holds dear to the people he calls friends. He works hard at any task you put before. I also know that when someone he cares about is threaten, he is first to dive into the fight to protect them. Can you do that?"

"Who is that type of monster of a person? Two hundred push-ups? Take out an opponent? What is he? Some master of a dojo? A high school delinquent?"

"Doesn't matter who he is...I have already discussed with him this morning on the nicknames for our children after we are married; Chi for a girl or Dai for a boy...My answer to you is No. My heart is already taken by him and there is no other that will ever replace him." Nishikata realized that Takagi was talking about him to Toshio. And he could not be happier. He really does care for Takagi just as she does for him. Nishikata rolled his sleeves to show his taut arms and slowly turned the corner to walk into the end of the conversation. 

Toshio looked over Takagi's shoulder at Nishikata, saw his exposed arms, and realized that he would not be able to compete with the two of them. "You said that the two of you were not dating...What changed?"

"You trying to force yourself and Takagi-san together." Nishikata coldly said. 

"Children nicknames? Like the two of you are going to start a family." 

Takagi quickly said, "You have no idea of our relationship do you?" 

"Well...I don't have to spread rumors...Everyone already thinks that the two of you are a couple...Good bye, Takagi-san and Nishikata-kun." Toshio slowly walked past Takagi and Nishikata. Nishikata stayed at the corner and watched as he walked away from the secluded spot. 

After a few moments, Nishikata turned to Takagi and said, "When someone he cares about is threaten, he is first to dive into the fight to protect them?" 

"It was when we were skipping the rocks at the river...you quickly grabbed my hand and then turned us both with your momentum and ended up 'diving' into the river." Takagi said with a smile.

"Whatever...let's go back to the classroom." 

"No...I still haven't heard your confession...I know you heard mine even-though I was looking at him." 

"Y-Y-Y-Y-You really are going to make me do this aren't you?" Nishikata stuttered. Takagi just smiled and nodded. With a deep red blush forming on his face Nishikata started to whisper, "I like you …..would you go out with me?" while staring at the ground between them.

"Huuhhh...I can't hear you...could you talk a little louder." she said with a smile on her face.

Nishikata gritted his teeth and looked into her face. He took two steps closer and said, "Would you go out with me...I really like you." 

The teasing smile slowly comes over her face. "I will have to give it some thought..." At that statement Nishikata looks dumbfounded. Easily Takagi starts to laugh at his predicament. "The answer to your question is Yes, I will go out with you, date you, and eventually marry you; if you want that with me." 

Nishikata looks at her and starts to smile himself. "Does this mean 'No more teasing'." He asked. 

Takagi laughed out loud and said, "Nope, even more teasing...I only tease the people I love and I show that love to them by teasing." 

Nishikata realizes at that moment he will not have a dull life, but filled with teasing love without- hurting his feelings. And he could only smile at that prospect.


End file.
